For nearly 20 years the Hawk aircraft has trained the Royal Australian Air Force ‘top gun’ pilots in this nation’s pride of the fast-jet fleet, including both the F-18s and Super Hornets.
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Now the durable military lead-in fighter (LIF) has undergone another transformation to support the arrival next month of Australia’s newest advanced supersonic, stealth fighter – the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) – to RAAF Base Williamtown.
BAE Systems Williamtown this month reached a significant milestone with the induction of the last of 33 Hawk aircraft ahead of the fleet’s conversion and upgrade.
The trainer is expected to roll-out of BAE’s maintenance hangar in March next year.
The upgrade of the Hawk Mk127 fleet, which commenced in 2016 and has been reported to cost the federal government well over $100 million, will complete the strategically important LIF capability program, making it one of the most advanced of its type in the world.
The Hawk, operated by 76 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown and 79SQN in Perth, had been an integral part of the fast jet training system since 2001, enabling the Air Force to graduate highly trained aircrew for life in fast jet cockpits.
Now the upgraded Hawk will be capable of delivering high calibre pilots for the soon-to-arrive fleet of 72 JSF aircraft set to operate from RAAF bases in Williamtown and Tindal.
BAE’s LIF program manager Ian Bradley said that the key areas of conversion to the British-made tandem, two-seated training aircraft were based around software, avionic equipment and wiring.
“As part of the modification, some 900 wires had to be removed and replaced, with each aircraft taking around 4000 hours to complete,” Mr Bradley said.
“We are very proud of our workforce who are encouraged to work innovatively.
“In fact, the crew has managed to reduced the number of days to complete the aircraft upgrades from approximately 100 days to 60 through the use of more efficient practices.
“Additionally, one of our staff, LIF CAP team leader Steve Storer was recently awarded the Australia-wide BAE ‘Team Leader of the Year’ for 2018, which is a remarkable achievement.
“Currently we have a national workforce of approximately 320 in the program comprising aircraft maintenance and supply personnel, engineers and management across a number of BAE sites, around 240 of those are based at Williamtown,” Mr Bradley said.
BAE Systems Australia chief executive Gabby Costigan said the Hawk upgrade had been a benchmark program in terms of how BAE Australia and UK engineering teams, together with industry partners and RAAF technicians, have collaborated to deliver an enhanced capability ahead of schedule.
“It’s also testament to all involved that the upgrade program has been delivered without adversely impacting the training of the Williamtown RAAF’s fast jet aircrew, which is a significant achievement.”
Pilots complete a 14-week Introductory Fighter Course at RAAF Base Pearce with the Hawk, which includes general flying, instrument flying, formation flying, night flying and navigation.
Graduates then progress to a 20-week course at Williamtown for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons training with the Hawk. Only then can pilots progress to conversion to the Hornets and JSFs.
Most of the 33 Hawk aircraft purchased in Australia in the late 1990s were assembled at Williamtown.
